Gaillard graves expected to give insight to 1700s Charleston

The 27 graves found at the Gaillard Auditorium construction site could be a treasure-trove of information on how people lived in the Lowcountry of the early 1700s, the lead archaeologist says.

Archaeologist Eric Poplin said the graves, believed to date to the 1720s or 1730s, potentially represent the most significant recovery of its kind ever done in downtown Charleston.

“These will be the earliest excavated graves in the history of the city,” said Poplin, of Brockington Cultural Resources Consulting.

The process of removing the 27 sets of remains is scheduled to begin this week, though it could be hampered by weather if heavy rains persist.